Christians Express Increasing Concern Over Burma IDPs

There is an increasing concern over reports of new attacks on the mostly Christian Karen and Karenni peoples in Burma

By Kenneth Chan, Saturday, January 08, 2005

There is an increasing concern over reports of new attacks on the mostly Christian Karen and Karenni peoples in Burma, according to a recent statement published by a Christian human rights organization on Thursday.

“Forces of the ruling military junta have targeted a number of villages in these areas, seizing property, burning paddy rice and forcing villagers to flee their homes and take refuge in the jungle,” stated the Jubilee Campaign, as reported by International Christian Concern (ICC).

“We are also troubled by suggestions from a number of sources that the junta has significantly under-reported the death toll in Burma from the Dec. 26 tsunamis that devastated many nearby coastal regions in Indonesia, Thailand and India,” the lobby group added.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, there are an estimated one million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Burma today, with over 526,000 in Shan, Karen, Karenni and Mon areas of eastern Burma, living in dire conditions either in relocation camps under the control of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) forces or in temporary shelters in the jungle, or on the run, without access to adequate food supplies, health care, shelter or education.

Since 2002, at least 157,000 have been displaced and 240 villages destroyed, CSW stated in a recent report. Since 1996, an estimated 2,500 villages in eastern Burma have been destroyed, relocated or abandoned.

“While some areas of Karen State have seen a decrease in military activities since a verbal ceasefire was agreed between KNU (the Karen National Union) and the SPDC, and ceasefire talks commenced, other areas have seen no change,” CSW reported. “Since the ceasefire talks began, the KNU has reported over 200 clashes between the Burma Army and KNLA troops.”

CSW also reported that while international organizations such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have been given access to some areas of Karen State, other agencies question the effectiveness of such organizations, which only go to areas with permission from the SPDC and which do not publicly criticize the SPDC for human rights violations. According to one source, human rights abuses have occurred in areas where the ICRC is present in Shan State, but the ICRC has declined to speak out publicly against these violations. The Burma Army has also persecuted those who speak to the ICRC. “The abuses are taking place right under the noses of the UN agencies and ICRC,” claimed one NGO worker. The presence of UN organizations serves to legitimize the regime.

In addition to the estimated 157,000 displaced as a result of Burma Army offensives, CSW received reports of another 7,500 Karen and Karenni people recently displaced during their most recent visit to the area last month.

“At least 4,781 Karen people have been displaced in recent weeks in the Shwygn/Hsaw Htee area of Naunglybin District, Karen State,” CSW reported. “They are currently hiding in the jungle and cannot move during the day for fear of attack from the Burma Army.”